The Rose, Tears from Heaven
by June Bug
Summary: Sad fic, just one that came in to my head a while ago...hmm now 'A single tear from the skies fell and split in to a thousand tiny teardrops. It was raining, it was raining deep in the heart of San Francisco.'
1. The Rose, Tears from Heaven

The Rose/Tears From Heaven 

A single tear from the skies fell and split in to a thousand tiny teardrops. It was raining; it was raining deep in the heart of San Francisco. Wyatt was standing next to his younger brother Chris and both of them were stood in front of their two aunts and their father. Chris shook his head angrily. At sixteen he could only manage to feel anger, not sorrow. Wyatt, being that little bit older, no longer felt the anger his brother was experiencing, instead felt the bitter anguish and sorrow, knowing that in time, he would have to comfort his brother as he came to terms with the truth.

Phoebe and Paige looked at each other, they were holding on tightly to each other's hands and each blinking back the tears that were threatening to spill out and trickle down their cheeks. Though with the rain starting they could easily have stopped denying the tears their chance of freedom and let them take their place down the pale-faced cheeks. They were both wearing black except Paige had a small red rose tucked in to the breast pocket of her coat. With her free hand she pulled the rose out and held it in her hand. A thorn that she had missed earlier cut in to the palm of her hand but she gripped on to the flower tightly. This rose was a lasting reminder of her sister, and a promise that she vowed to keep.

Leo was standing on his own, just behind Phoebe. His hands were in his pockets and he was looking up to the heavens, cursing them with every word he could manage under his breath. Rain was falling on to his face and falling down his cheeks and then on to the floor. The tears of heaven were doing their job spectacularly well today.

Wyatt was the first to let his emotions get the better of him and one single tear fell down his cheek. He was quick to wipe it away but at seeing this Chris' rage bubbled up to the surface and he turned around and looked to his father, shaking angrily. Leo simply nodded and his son fell in to his open arms, where he held Chris for a good twenty minutes.

Meanwhile the rose that Paige was thrown in to the grave and her and Phoebe had gone off to the wake that had been organised to take place at the Manor. Wyatt had gone off the sit at a park that his mother had always taken him to when he was a small boy. A year ago they had gone there for old times sake when they both had a free day. It had been one of the best days of his life, going back and reminiscing with his mother, not having to worry about anything, spending quality time with the only person he truly trusted. For some reason he had an amazing relationship with her. And now she was gone.


	2. The Rose

The Rose 

Paige poked her oldest sister playfully and smiled.

"Piper, you said we could go out for a drink, just us three, you promised!"

Piper nodded and smiled at Paige,

"I do remember, Paige, but…are you sure you don't want Leo to come?"

"Piper!"

"Ok, I'll let him know, they can have a lads night in, not a problem."

Paige then nodded and walked out of the kitchen where Piper was arranging flowers. It was a new hobby she had taken up, for some reason it relaxed her almost as much as cooking did. Currently she was planning where to place the roses with regards to the lilies. Red and white. They seemed to go together very well and were her favourite combination, even though the smell of the lilies gave her a headache.

* * *

It was Phoebe's turn to get the drinks in so she was standing at the bar, bent over slightly, showing a little extra flesh to get some money knocked off the next round, or possibly just extra drinks.

Paige and Piper were talking about different flower combinations. For some reason Piper had no energy to talk much. She had very little motivation. Paige sighed.

"Come on Piper, do flower combinations really matter? We're out to get drunk…well, you know, have a good time," Paige rolled her eyes slightly, having still not touched alcohol in a very long time. At least now she didn't keep count of how many months…etc, like recovering alcoholics did. Piper smiled and nodded, then suddenly went very pale, stood up and ran to the bathroom. Paige shook her head as Phoebe came back.

"Someone can't handle their drink." She laughed. Phoebe nodded whilst taking a sip from her drink, a double…something or other; she couldn't remember what she'd ordered.

When Piper came back she looked dreadful and asked nicely if her sisters wouldn't mind if they went home.

* * *

It had been four months since Piper had been admitted to hospital. Leo had very rarely left her side and her room was decorated with roses that Leo always brought in whenever he went to see her.

One sunny Sunday afternoon Paige had entered the room the visit her dieing sister. Leo had just left to get himself a drink. Piper was looking better today but Paige forced herself not to be hopeful that Piper might recover. The doctors had already checked and double-checked, and there was only a very, very small chance that Piper would pull through.

"Hey you," Paige said putting on a bright face. Piper smiled at her sister using as much energy as she could muster.

"Paige," Piper whispered – it was all she could manage, "I want to tell you something," Paige nodded and sat on the side of Piper's bed where Leo had previously been sitting, and took a tight hold of her sisters hand. "Remember all my flowers that I used to love arranging?" Paige nodded, nervously anticipating what her sister was going to say. "I don't want flowers at my funeral Paige,"

"Piper-"

"Paige, please. Promise me I won't have flowers at my funeral."

Paige said nothing.

"I think that having flowers would remind you of me. Every time you saw flower arrangements…I don't know…maybe you would think of me killing time in the kitchen?"

"Piper, why would I not want to be reminded of you?"

"Paige…" Piper was getting weak. "One…single…rose, please…" Suddenly she closed her eyes and the room was suddenly filled with a single beep coming from a heart monitor machine. Paige jumped up immediately and placed her hands on Piper's heart and tried to heal her, bring her back, even if it was just for one more moment.

Leo opened the door and rushed over to Paige. Fighting back tears he pulled her hands away and shook his head.

"This isn't fair. We can't help her any more. I promised her that if it happened one more time then we shouldn't wake her up."

Paige put her hands to her mouth to stifle the crying that she was inevitably doing. Leo turned and put his arms around Paige and joined her in crying.

The nurses and doctors rushed in to do everything they could but with out the power of Whitelighters aiding their work, they were trying to save Piper in vain.

Piper never opened her eyes again.


	3. Tears from Heaven

Tears From Heaven 

Leo took hold of Piper's hand as she looked at him with her sad eyes. Wyatt and Chris were at high school and Phoebe and Paige were out doing the weekly food shop.

"I'm sick, Leo." Piper said. She put it bluntly. Leo instinctively closed his eyes and tried to feel for where Piper was injured or damaged; trying to find the route of her discomfort, her disease.

"They say I've only got about five more months."

Leo opened his eyes and felt himself swallow. He shook his head and furrowed his eyebrows, showing his confusion. Piper leaned forward and kissed Leo's lips gently, before leaning her head on his shoulder.

"They say it's a miracle I've lasted this long, so how they can say I'm going to last five more months is beyond me, but I guess they have their ways of knowing…" Piper trailed of and gave a gentle sniff. Leo used his free hand to lift Piper's face up to look in to her eyes. He could see her pain and her anguish, and also a wish that she had told him as soon as she had found out that she was going to die. But there was no use in wishing she could change the past.

Sitting outside in their small but cosy garden Piper rested her head back on Leo's shoulders and he then rested his head comfortably on hers. They remained silent and at peace for most of the afternoon. Leo didn't cry and neither did Piper. Neither wanted to show the other that they were weak, that they were desperately trying to cry out for help, that they were both angry and hated the way the world could be so cruel.

Just before the sun disappeared below the horizon, clouds started to form and raindrops started to fall.

Neither of them wanted to move.

"You know, back when I was a little boy, I remember once being told that raindrops were the tears of the gods in the skies, that it only rained when there was something to make them cry. Raindrops are tears from heaven, Piper, and they're crying for you." Piper then allowed the rain to wash over her body as the once few and far between raindrops fell harder and her.

She closed her eyes and pictured herself on a beach somewhere with Leo. Just with Leo. Suddenly she could no longer feel the raindrops but she could feel their cleansing power. The rain was washing through her soul, leaving her with a clear picture.

One day, she could sense, Leo and her would be back together again.

"I love you, Leo."

"I Love you, Piper."

Together they sat in silence again.

When the tears from heaven receded, the two still didn't go inside.

Late in to the night and then early in to the morning.

Phoebe, Paige, Wyatt and Chris all checked that they were ok. Several times.

When the morning came, Leo and Piper awoke in each other's company, her head still rested on her shoulder, his rested on her head.

Together they watched the most beautiful sunrise they had ever seen.

Today would be the first day of the last of Piper's life, and she was grateful that she had found the love that she had, and that she had led the life she had.

Carefully raising her head, even though her neck was slightly stiff, she kissed Leo on his forehead and he smiled and temporarily forgot the bad news. Then a tear rolled down her cheek. Piper wiped it away and shook her head.

"No more tears," She smiled and kissed his lips. "Today, I live."


End file.
